La Clemenza di Tito

After revolutionizing the opera world with three brilliant comedic collaborations with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart turned back to the older genre of opera seria for this drama about a benevolent Roman ruler. In this 2019 radio broadcast, golden-voiced tenor Matthew Polenzani reigns as Emperor Tito, who must decide whether to pardon his dear friend Sesto—sung by audience favorite Joyce DiDonato—after an assassination attempt on Tito’s life. Leading one of the composer’s most elegant scores, Lothar Koenigs conducts a cast that also includes soprano Elza van den Heever as the ruthless Vitellia and breakout stars Ying Fang and Emily D’Angelo as the young lovers Servilia and Annio.